DHL, the leading logistics partner in the rapidly growing German e-commerce and mail order sector, pools services for online retailers, including warehousing, order picking, packing, shipping, door-to-door delivery and returns management.

Since 2007, DHL Package has operated a central transhipment center and warehouse in Ludwigsau, near Bad Hersfeld, for its premium, heavy and bulky goods transportation and delivery service. Increasingly, customers are demanding shorter delivery times and greater flexibility. As workload elevated, DHL needed to expand this facility, which was originally developed by Prologis.

DHL is a long-term Prologis customer with facilities around the world, so it was natural for the company to seek Prologis’ assistance. To maximize efficiency, DHL’s expansion needed to be adjacent to its Ludwigsau facility. Prologis had already established a cooperative relationship with the city of Ludwigsau, the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg and the office for economic development, so we were able to purchase a 12-hectare plot next to DHL’s existing distribution center.

Construction of the 35,200 square meter logistics facility started in April 2017. The new facility comprises warehouse and transhipment areas, and the transhipment space alone is 10,000 square meters.

DHL also extended its already-existing 37,500 square meter lease with Prologis in Ludwigsau.

The Bad Hersfeld region, in the heart of Germany, is a logistics hot spot. Goods dispatched from Ludwigsau can reach customers across Germany within 24 hours. With easy access to the A4 and A7 motorways, the region is an optimal logistics location.

Prologis aims to achieve gold certification from the German Sustainable Building Council and is fitting the entire Ludwigsau facility with LED lights and high-quality insulation to minimize energy consumption. Once completed, Prologis will take over property management of the facility.